Connector carrier for electronic device kiosk

ABSTRACT

Connector carriers (e.g., connector carousels) for use with electronic device processing kiosks, such as mobile phone recycling kiosks, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a connector carrier includes a chassis and a plurality of electrical connectors fixedly positioned around a periphery of the chassis. In operation, the connector carrier is configured to rotate about a central axis to position a selected one of the electrical connectors in a first position adjacent to an inspection area of the kiosk, and then move toward the inspection area to move the selected electrical connector from the first position to a second position in which a user can connect a mobile phone to the electrical connector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/788,153, filed Feb. 11, 2020, which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/804,714, titled CONNECTORCARRIER FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE KIOSK, which was filed on Feb. 12, 2019,and these applications are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is generally related to kiosks for buying and/orselling mobile phones and/or other electronic devices and, moreparticularly, to connector carriers for use with such kiosks.

BACKGROUND

There are more mobile phones in use now than there are people on theplanet. The rapid growth of mobile phones is due in part on the rapidpace at which these devices evolve. Because of the rapid pace ofdevelopment, a relatively high percentage of mobile phones are replacedevery year as consumers continually upgrade to obtain the latestfeatures or a better operating plan. According to the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, the U.S. alone disposes of over 370 million mobilephones, PDAs, tablets, and other electronic devices every year. Millionsof other outdated or broken mobile phones are simply tossed into junkdrawers or otherwise kept until a suitable disposal solution arises.

Although many mobile phone retailers and cell carrier stores now offermobile phone trade-in or buyback programs, many old phones still end upin landfills or are improperly disassembled and disposed of indeveloping countries. Unfortunately, however, mobile phones and similardevices typically contain substances that can be harmful to theenvironment, such as arsenic, lithium, cadmium, copper, lead, mercuryand zinc. If not properly disposed of, these toxic substances can seepinto groundwater from decomposing landfills and contaminate the soilwith potentiality harmful consequences for humans and the environment.

As an alternative to retailer trade-in or buyback programs, consumerscan recycle and/or sell their used mobile phones using self-servicekiosks located in malls, retail stores, or other publicly accessibleareas. Such kiosks are operated by ecoATM, LLC, the assignee of thepresent application, and aspects of these kiosks are described in, forexample: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,881,965, 8,195,511, 8,200,533, 8,239,262,8,423,404 and 8,463,646; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos.62/169,072, 62/202,330, 62/332,736 62/782,302 and 62/782,947; and U.S.patent application Ser. Nos. 14/498,763, 14/500,739, 14/506,449,14/568,051, 14/598,469, 14/660,768, 14/663,331, 14/873,145, 14/873,158,14/925,357, 14/925,375, 14/934,134, 14/964,963, 14/967,183, 14/966,346,15/057,707, 15/130,851, 15/176,975 and 16/719,699, each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Mobile phone recycling kiosks typically provide users with a connectorfor connecting to the device they wish to sell so that the kiosk canelectronically evaluate the device for identification, functionality,etc. Because different makes and models of mobile devices often requiredifferent connectors, the kiosk will generally include at least one ofeach type of commonly-found connector so that the kiosk can accommodatea broad range of commercially available devices. Each of the connectorsis typically attached to an individual electrical cable that is carriedon a rotating carrousel or other type of carrier device. To use aconnector, the user pulls the connector and cable away from the carrierdevice and manually connects the connector to their device. As a resultof repeated pulling and handling by users, the cables have a tendency tobreak or otherwise become damaged over time, requiring time-consumingreplacement and contributing to kiosk down-time. Accordingly, it wouldbe advantageous to provide a connector carrying device for use withmobile device recycling kiosks that is less susceptible to connectorand/or cable damage from use, and thus requires less maintenance and hasa longer service life than conventional connector carrying devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front isometric view of an electronic device recyclingkiosk configured in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology, and FIG. 1B is a front isometric view of the kiosk with afront door and associated hardware omitted for purposes of betterillustrating internal components and systems of the kiosk.

FIG. 1C is an enlarged front isometric view of selected internalcomponents and systems of the kiosk, and FIG. 1D is a further enlargedisometric view of a connector carrier and associated components of thekiosk configured in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged front isometric view of the connector carrier andassociated components from FIG. 1D, FIG. 2B is a bottom front isometricview of the connector carrier and the associated components, and FIG. 2Cis a rear isometric view of the connector carrier and the associatedcomponents.

FIG. 2D is a front view of the connector carrier with a selectedconnector in a first position, and FIG. 2E is a similar front view ofthe connector carrier with the selected connecter in a second positionfor connection to a mobile phone.

FIG. 3A is a front isometric view of the connector carrier of FIGS.1D-2C, and FIG. 3B is an exploded front isometric view of the connectorcarrier configured in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure describes various embodiments of connectorcarriers for use with kiosks, such as consumer-operated kiosks forpurchasing mobile phones and/or other handheld electronic devices fromconsumers, and/or for selling mobile phones and/or other mobileelectronic devices to consumers. In some embodiments, connector carriersconfigured in accordance with the present technology can includerotatable carousels that carry a plurality of different mobile phoneconnectors around a periphery thereof. In contrast to conventionalconnector carriers in which the connectors and the associated cables aremanually extracted from the carrier for manual connection to a mobiledevice, in the connector carriers of the present technology theconnectors remain stationary relative to the carrier and are notmanually extracted for connection to mobile devices. Instead, asdescribed in greater detail below, the connector carriers of the presenttechnology are movable as a unit to present the correct connector to theuser so that the user can dock their mobile device to the connector.After the electrical inspection, the kiosk automatically disconnects theconnector from the mobile device. As a result, the connectors andassociated cables are not subjected to repeated pulling and other roughhandling that can lead to premature wear and tear. Accordingly, use ofconnector carriers configured in accordance with the present technologycan lead to longer connector/cable service life, reduced maintenance andgreater kiosk up-time.

Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.1A-3B to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of thepresent technology. In other instances, well-known structures,materials, operations and/or systems often associated with mobileelectronic devices, mobile device recycling kiosks, etc. are not shownor described in detail in the following disclosure to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the description of the various embodiments ofthe technology. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize,however, that the present technology can be practiced without one ormore of the details set forth herein, or with other structures, methods,components, and so forth.

The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadestreasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with adetailed description of certain examples of embodiments of thetechnology. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however,any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner willbe overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Descriptionsection.

The accompanying Figures depict embodiments of the present technologyand are not intended to be limiting of its scope. The sizes of variousdepicted elements are not necessarily drawn to scale, and these variouselements may be arbitrarily enlarged to improve legibility. Componentdetails may be abstracted in the Figures to exclude details such asposition of components and certain precise connections between suchcomponents when such details are unnecessary for a completeunderstanding of how to make and use the invention. Many of the details,dimensions, angles and other features shown in the Figures are merelyillustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly,other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles andfeatures without departing from the spirit or scope of the presentinvention. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that further embodiments of the invention can be practicedwithout several of the details described below.

In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical, or atleast generally similar, elements. To facilitate the discussion of anyparticular element, the most significant digit or digits of anyreference number refers to the Figure in which that element is firstintroduced. For example, element 110 is first introduced and discussedwith reference to FIG. 1 .

FIG. 1A is a partially schematic front isometric view of a kiosk 100configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology forpurchasing electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones) from consumers. FIG.1B is a front isometric view of the kiosk 100 with a front door 108removed from a housing 106 to better illustrate selected internalcomponents of the kiosk 100. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B together, insome embodiments the kiosk 100 can include a number of user interfacedevices to facilitate use of the kiosk 100. For example, in theillustrated embodiment the kiosk 100 includes a display 104 (e.g., anLCD screen) that can provide textual and/or graphical information tousers to facilitate a phone purchasing process. The display 104 caninclude touch-screen capability for receiving user inputs in response todisplayed prompts, etc. Additionally, in some embodiments the kiosk 100can also include a keypad, an ID card reader, a thumbprint scanner, acash dispenser, a receipt printer, and/or other user interface devicesto facilitate the phone purchase process. The kiosk 100 further includesan access door 102 that covers an internal device inspection area 112.As shown in FIG. 1B, the door 102 can be slidably coupled to an inclinedtrack 122 so that the door 102 can move upwardly to provide a user withaccess to the inspection area 112. The kiosk 100 also includes asuitable processor 140 that controls operation of the kiosk componentsand systems as described herein in accordance with computer-readableinstructions stored on system memory. The processor 140 may be any logicprocessing unit, such as one or more CPUs, digital signal processors(DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. Theprocessor 140 may be a single processing unit or multiple processingunits in the kiosk or distributed across multiple devices.

FIG. 1C is an enlarged front isometric view of the kiosk 100 with thehousing 106 removed to better illustrate selected internal components ofthe kiosk 100 associated with device evaluation. FIG. 1D is a furtherenlarged isometric view of the kiosk portion shown in FIG. 1C with acover 116 removed to expose a connector carrier 130 configured inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology. In both of theseviews, the access door 102 has been slid upwardly on the track 122 indirection U to expose the inspection area 112. As shown in FIG. 1D, theconnector carrier 130 can be rotatably mounted in an opening 143 in asupport plate 145 positioned below the inspection area 112 and under thecover 116 (FIG. 1C). In the illustrated embodiment, the connectorcarrier 130 has the form of a cylindrical carousel (which can also bereferred to as a cylindrical hub) having a plurality of mobile phoneelectrical connectors 132 a-f radially disposed around a periphery of achassis 136. The individual connectors 132 a-f can be selected so thatall, or at least most, of the commercially available mobile phones canbe connected to the carrier 130. For example, in some embodiments theconnectors 132 a-f can include Mini-USB, Micro-USB, Type-C and/orLightning connectors.

In some embodiments, the process for selling a mobile phone via thekiosk 100 can be at least generally similar to one or more of theprocesses described in the patents and patent applications incorporatedherein by reference. For example, referring to FIGS. 1A-1D together, auser wishing to sell a mobile phone 120 (FIGS. 1C and 1D) can approachthe kiosk 100 and input various mobile phone and/or personal informationvia one or more of the user interface devices described above. Suchinformation can include, for example, phone identification information(e.g., make and/or model), user identification information (e.g., adriver's license and/or a thumb print), etc.

Based on the phone make and/or model information as provided by theuser, the connector carrier 130 rotates in a clockwise direction CWand/or a counterclockwise direction CCW about a central axis 134 asshown in FIG. 1D to selectively position a corresponding one of theconnectors 132 a-f directly adjacent to an opening (not shown in FIG.1D) in a device shelf 118 (the shelf 118 can also be referred to as anedge member, guide, wall, etc.). As described in greater detail below,the connector carrier 130 then moves upwardly as a unit to insert theselected connector 132 through the opening so that it protrudes slightlyabove the shelf 118 and into the inspection area 112. The access door102 then moves upwardly in direction U on the track 122 to expose atransparent plate 114 in the inspection area 112. In the illustratedembodiment, the transparent plate 114 is perpendicular to the centralaxis 134 and inclined relative to the horizontal plane at an angle of,for example, from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees, from about 55degrees to about 65 degrees, or about 60 degrees. In other embodiments,the transparent plate 114 can be positioned at other angles relative tothe horizontal plane, or the transparent plate 114 can be parallel tothe horizontal plane. After the door 102 opens, the user docks orotherwise connects the mobile phone 120 to the selected connector 132 bypositioning the connector port in the mobile phone 120 directly over theconnector 132 and moving the phone 120 downwardly in direction D toinsert the connector 132 into the port. With the electrical connectionthus made and the phone 120 positioned face-up on the transparent plate114 as shown in FIG. 1D, the door 102 moves downwardly on the track 122in direction D to the position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to close off theinspection area 112 and initiate the phone evaluation process. In someembodiments, the structures and functions of the kiosk 100 can be atleast generally similar to the kiosk structures and functions describedin U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/807,153, titled KIOSK FOREVALUATING AND PURCHASING USED ELECTRONIC DEVICES, which was filed onFeb. 18, 2019, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the kiosk 100 and various features thereof can beat least generally similar in structure and function to the systems,methods and corresponding features described in the following patentsand patent applications, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety: U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,496,963; 10,475,002;10,445,708; 10,438,174; 10,417,615; 10,401,411; 10,269,110; 10,157,427;10,127,647; 10,055,798; 10,032,140; 9,911,102; 9,904,911; 9,885,672;9,881,284; 9,818,160; 8,463,646; 8,423,404; 8,239,262; 8,200,533;8,195,511; and 7,881,965; U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/573,089;12/727,624; 13/113,497; 12/785,465; 13/017,560; 13/438,924; 13/753,539;13/658,825; 13/733,984; 13/705,252; 13/487,299; 13/492,835; 13/562,292;13/658,828; 13/693,032; 13/792,030; 13/794,814; 13/794,816; 13/862,395;13/913,408; 14/498,763; 14/500,739; 14/873,158; 14/506,449; 14/925,357;14/925,375; 14/934,134; 14/964,963; 14/568,051; 14/966,346; 14/598,469;14/660,768; 14/663,331; 15/057,707; 15/091,487; 15/214,791; 15/630,460;15/641,145; 15/672,157; 15/855,320; 15/901,526; 15/977,729; 16/195,785;16/357,041; 16/534,741; 16/556,018; 16/556,104; 16/575,003; 16/575,090;16/601,492, and 16/719,699; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/169,072,titled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR VISUALLY EVALUATING ELECTRONIC DEVICES,”filed by the applicant on Jun. 1, 2015; U.S. Provisional Application No.62/202,330, titled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INSPECTING MOBILE DEVICESAND OTHER CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH ROBOTIC ACTUATION,” filed bythe applicant on Aug. 7, 2015; U.S. Provisional Application No.62/332,736, titled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING DAMAGE IN EDGEREGIONS OF MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” filed by the applicant on May 6,2016; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/782,302, titled “SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR VENDING AND/OR PURCHASING MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONICDEVICES,” filed by the applicant on Dec. 19, 2019; U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/782,947, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VENDINGAND/OR PURCHASING MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” filed bythe applicant on Dec. 20, 2019; U.S. Provisional Application No.62/804,714, titled “CONNECTOR CARRIER FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE KIOSK,”filed by the applicant on Feb. 12, 2019; U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/807,153, titled “KIOSK FOR EVALUATING AND PURCHASING USEDELECTRONIC DEVICES,” filed by the applicant on Feb. 18, 2019, U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/807,165, titled “NEURAL NETWORK BASEDPHYSICAL CONDITION EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATEDSYSTEMS AND METHODS,” filed by the applicant on Feb. 18, 2019, and U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/950,075, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORVENDING AND/OR PURCHASING MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES,”filed by the applicant on Dec. 18, 2019. All the patents and patentapplications listed in the preceding sentence and any other patents orpatent applications identified herein are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties. Although the connector carrier 130 andembodiments thereof are described herein in the context of the kiosk100, it should be understood that, unless the context requiresotherwise, the connector carrier 130 is not limited to use with suchkiosks. Accordingly, it is contemplated that the connector carrier 130and various embodiments thereof can also be used with other types ofkiosks and/or machines for mobile phoneevaluation/recycling/purchasing/processing and/or other purposes.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged front isometric view of the connector carrier 130and associated components configured in accordance with embodiments ofthe present technology. FIG. 2B is a bottom front isometric view of theconnector carrier 130 and the associated components, and FIG. 2C is arear isometric view of the connector carrier 130 and the associatedcomponents. In FIGS. 2A-2C, the support plate 145 (FIG. 1D) has beenomitted for clarity of illustration. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C together,the connector carrier 130 is rotatably mounted to a support frame 240(which can also be referred to as a yoke 240). The support frame 240 ispivotally mounted to a back side of the support plate 145 (FIG. 1D) by apivot pin 244 at a first end portion of the frame 240. An opposite endportion of the frame 240 includes a slot 241 that slidably receives aguide pin 243. In the illustrated embodiment, the slot 241 is generallyorientated along a horizontal axis. The guide pin 243 is attached to adistal end portion of an eccentric crank arm 242, which in turn has aproximal end portion fixedly attached to a rotating shaft 247 extendingfrom an electric motor 248. The electric motor 248 can be mounted to theback side of the support plate 145 (FIG. 1D) by a suitable bracket. Asshown in FIG. 2C, the connector carrier chassis 136 includes a pluralityof teeth 256 around the periphery thereof. The teeth 256 engagecorresponding teeth on a pinion 254 (which can also be referred to as aspur gear 254), which is in turn attached to a drive shaft of anelectric motor 252. The electric motor 252 is mounted to a back side ofthe support frame 240 by a suitable bracket.

Referring next to FIG. 2B, in some embodiments the kiosk 100 canidentify the appropriate connector 132 for connecting to the mobilephone 120 based on the make and/or model of the phone 120 as indicatedby the user (via, e.g., the kiosk display 104; FIG. 1A). In operation,the electric motor 252 (under control of, e.g., the kiosk processor 140)is activated to rotate the pinion 254, which through engagement with theteeth 256 rotates the connector carrier 130 about the central axis 134to position the appropriate connector 132 in the 12 o'clock positiondirectly adjacent to and aligned with an opening 246 in the shelf 118.In some embodiments, the electric motor 252 can rotate the connectorcarrier 130 up to 180 degrees in either the clockwise direction CW orthe counterclockwise direction CCW about the central axis 134 toposition a selected connector 132 adjacent to the opening 246. In otherembodiments, the electric motor 252 can rotate the connector carrier 130more or less than 180 degrees in either direction about the central axis134 for connector positioning, such as a full 360 degrees in eitherdirection. Before the connector carrier 130 rotates about the axis 134in this manner, the crank arm 242 positions the guide pin 243 in theposition shown in FIG. 2A (e.g., the 9 o'clock position) or at a lowerposition (e.g., a lower position between the 9 o'clock position and the3 o'clock position, such as the 6 o'clock position). Moving the guidepin 243 to a lower position in this manner rotates the support frame 240downwardly about the axis 245 in the CW direction and away from theshelf 118. This enables the connectors 132 a-f to rotate about the axis134 without striking the underside of the shelf 118 on either side ofthe opening 246.

FIG. 2D is a front view of the connector carrier 130 with a selectedconnector (e.g., the connector 132 a) aligned with the opening 246 inthe shelf 118 (FIG. 2B) but not extending through the opening 246, andFIG. 2E is a similar front view with the connector 132 a insertedthrough the opening 246 for connection to the mobile phone 120.Referring to FIGS. 2D and 2E together, once the correct connector 132 ais positioned directly adjacent to the opening 246 and generally alignedwith the opening 246 as shown in FIG. 2D (in what can be referred to as,e.g., a “first connector position” or a “staging position”), the motor252 stops rotation of the connector carrier 130, and the motor 248rotates the crank arm 242 in, e.g., the clockwise direction CW toposition the guide pin 243 (FIG. 2B) at or near the 12 o'clock position.Moving the guide pin 243 in this manner causes the connector support 240to rotate in the counterclockwise direction CCW about an axis 245 of thepivot pin 244 (FIG. 2B), thereby moving the connector carrier 130 towardthe inspection area 112 and inserting the selected connector 132 athrough the opening 246 so that at least a portion of the connector 132a (e.g., a tip portion 232) protrudes beyond the shelf 118 and into theinspection area 112 as shown in FIG. 2E. As described above, when theselected connector 132 a is in this position (which can be referred toas, e.g., a “second connector position” or an “engagement position”) theuser can manually dock or otherwise connect the mobile phone 120 to theconnector carrier 130 by moving the phone 120 downwardly on thetransparent plate 114 to insert the selected connector 132 a (e.g., thetip portion 232 of the selected connector 132 a) into a connector port250 on the phone 120 (FIG. 2B).

Once the mobile phone 120 has been correctly connected to theappropriate connector 132 in the foregoing manner, the access door 102on the kiosk 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) slides downwardly on the track 122 toclose off the inspection area 112 to the user. The kiosk 100 can thenperform an electrical inspection of the mobile phone 120 (for, e.g.,device identification (e.g., IMEI number, etc.), battery capacity,functionality, etc.) and/or a visual analysis of the mobile phone 120(for, e.g., cracks in the display screen, cosmetic condition, etc.). Insome embodiments, the electrical and/or visual inspections performed bythe kiosk 100 can be at least generally similar to the electrical andvisual inspections described in one or more of the patents and patentapplications incorporated herein by reference. Once these inspectionsare complete, the kiosk 100 can automatically activate the motor 248 torotate the crank arm 242 and the corresponding guide pin 243 downwardlyfrom the 12 o'clock position. As the guide pin 243 moves downwardly inthis manner, it drives the carrier support frame 240 downwardly in theclockwise direction CW about the pivot pin 244, which in turn causes theconnector carrier 130 to move downwardly and away from the inspectionarea 112. This movement of the connector carrier 130 retracts theselected connector 132 back through the opening 246 to automaticallydisconnect the connector 132 from the mobile phone 120. If the userwishes to accept an offered price and sell the phone to the kiosk 100,the transparent plate 114 can be rotated back and downwardly to causethe phone 120 to slide out of the inspection area 112 and into acollection bin (not shown). Conversely, if the user declines to sell thephone for the offered price, the access door 102 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) canmove upwardly on the guide track 122 to enable the user to reach intothe inspection area 112 and retrieve the mobile phone 120.

In some embodiments, the kiosk 100 can periodically perform a self-testof the connectors 132 a-f to ensure that all the connectors arefunctional and to identify any non-functional connectors that may needreplacement. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, in some embodiments thekiosk 100 can include an electrical test port 138 (mounted to, e.g., afront side of the support plate 145; FIG. 1D). The test port 138 can bea female port or socket configured to receive one or more of theconnectors 132 a-f and electrically test the functionality of theconnectors. For example, to perform a self-test of a selected connector132, the motor 252 (FIG. 2C) can rotate the carrier 130 about thecentral axis 134 as needed to position the selected connector 132 inradial alignment with the test port 138. The motor 248 then rotates thecrank arm 242 and the guide pin 243 downwardly toward the 6 o'clockposition to thereby rotate the carrier support frame 240 downwardly inthe CW direction about the pivot pin 244, which in turn drives theselected connector 132 into the test port 138. Once the test iscomplete, the motor 248 rotates the crank arm 242 and the guide pin 243upwardly to thereby rotate the carrier support frame 240 upwardly aboutthe pivot pin 244 in the CCW direction and disconnect the selectedconnector 132 from the test port 138. If needed, the kiosk 100 caninclude multiple test ports 138 as necessary to accommodate differenttypes of the connectors 132. The test port(s) 138 can be connected tosuitable kiosk software and/or electrical systems to test the individualconnectors 132 a-f for continuity, impedance, etc. and ensure properfunction. If any of the connectors 132 are found to be not functioningcorrectly, the kiosk 100 can send a corresponding text or otherelectronic message to service personnel to alert them about the faultyconnector so that it can be promptly replaced.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged front isometric view of the connector carrier130, and FIG. 3B is an exploded isometric view of the connector carrier130 configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B together, in the illustrated embodiment theconnector carrier 130 includes a plurality of connector cable assemblies378 a-f positioned beneath a top cover 370. The cover 370 is releasablysecured to the carrier chassis 136 by a plurality of fasteners 372(e.g., screws) that extend through slotted end portions of openings 374in the cover 370. To remove the cover 370 and access the connector cableassemblies 378, a user can loosen the fasteners 372 and rotate the cover370 in the counterclockwise direction CCW to align the faster heads withthe over-sized end portion of the openings 374. The cover 370 can thenbe lifted clear of the fasteners 372 and off the chassis 136.

As shown in FIG. 3B, each of the connector cable assemblies 378 a-fincludes one of the mobile phone connectors 132, a connector holder 360,an electrical cable 362, and a chassis connector 366 (e.g., a universalcable connector, such as a USB connector). Each of the electrical cables362 has a first end portion electrically connected to a correspondingone of the phone connectors 132 and a second end portion electricallyconnected to a corresponding one of the chassis connectors 366. To hold(e.g., fixedly hold) the phone connectors 132 in their proper positionsrelative to the chassis 136, each connector 132 is received in acorresponding connector holder 360, which in turn is held in acorresponding bracket 364 that is fixedly attached to an annular flange373 of the chassis 136. The connector holders 360 can include asymmetricprotrusions 361 a, b on either side thereof (such as the rectangularprotrusions shown in FIG. 3B) and/or other dimensional features toensure that the holders 360 are positioned in the corresponding brackets364 in the correct orientation (e.g., with the tip of the connector 132pointing radially outward). Each of the chassis connectors 366 isoperably received in a corresponding connector socket 368 which isfixedly arranged on a carrier plate 370.

As noted above, some electronic device recycling kiosks includeconnectors and associated electrical cables that are configured to bepulled away from a connector carrier by a user and manually connected toa device the user wishes to sell. As a result, the electrical cables aresubjected to stress and strain from manual use that can result in damageover time, thereby requiring replacement and/or repair. In contrast, theconnector carrier 130 does not rely on the user to grasp the selectedconnector 132 and manually withdraw it from the carrier and connect itto their mobile device. To the contrary, with reference to FIG. 2B, theuser simply docks or otherwise connects the mobile device 120 to thepresented connector 132 by aligning the mobile device connector port(e.g., the connector port 250) with the connector 132 and sliding themobile device 120 downwardly to insert the connector into the connectorport. Similarly, the mobile device 120 can be automatically disconnectedfrom the presented connector 132 by movement of the connector carrier130 downwardly about the pivot pin 244 in the clockwise direction CW asshown in FIG. 2A. As a result of these features, the connectors 132 andassociated electrical cables 362 (FIG. 3B) described herein are notsubjected to manual use that can lead to damage and the need forfrequent and costly replacement or maintenance.

In addition to the foregoing features, in some embodiments the connectorcarrier 130 can include a plurality of visual indicators to assistservice personnel in identifying broken or malfunctioning cableassemblies 378 in the event that they may need replacement. For example,as shown in FIG. 3B, in some embodiments the connector carrier 130 caninclude a plurality of visual indicators 376 a-f (e.g., light-emittingdiodes (LEDs)) positioned on the flange 373 of the chassis 136 proximateto corresponding ones of the connectors 132 a-f. If a particular cableassembly 378 is determined to need replacement (as a result of, e.g., aconnector self-test as described above), the associated indicator 376can be illuminated to signal the service personnel as to which of thecable assemblies 378 should be replaced. In other embodiments, each ofthe cable assemblies 378 and/or selected portions thereof can have aunique color, and when the service personnel receives an alertindicating that one of the cable assemblies 378 needs to be replaced,the alert can identify the color of the particular cable assembly 378 sothat the service personnel can quickly identify it during the servicecall. In further embodiments, other types of cable assemblyidentification can be used, such as identifying each cable assembly 378with a selected number that is printed or otherwise provided adjacenteach cable location.

Aspects of the invention can be embodied in a special purpose computeror data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, orconstructed to perform one or more of the computer-executableinstructions described in detail herein. While aspects of the invention,such as certain functions, are described as being performed exclusivelyon a single device, the invention can also be practiced in distributedenvironments where functions or modules are shared among disparateprocessing devices, which are linked through a communications network,such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or theInternet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may belocated in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Aspects of the invention may be stored or distributed on tangiblecomputer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readablecomputer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROMsemiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or otherdata storage media. Alternatively, computer implemented instructions,data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of theinvention may be distributed over the Internet or over other networks(including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagationmedium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave, etc.) over aperiod of time, or they may be provided on any analog or digital network(packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme). Although specificcircuitry is described above, those or ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that a microprocessor-based system could also be used whereany logical decisions are configured in software.

References throughout the foregoing description to features, advantages,or similar language do not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the present technology should be or are in anysingle embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to thefeatures and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus,discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe present technology may be combined in any suitable manner in one ormore embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize thatthe present technology can be practiced without one or more of thespecific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In otherinstances, additional features and advantages may be recognized incertain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of thepresent technology.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference in the entirety, except for any subject matterdisclaimers or disavowals, and except to the extent that theincorporated material is inconsistent with the express disclosureherein, in which case the language in this disclosure controls. Aspectsof the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems,functions, and concepts of the various references described above toprovide yet further implementations of the invention.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling orconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer tothis application as a whole and not to any particular portions of thisapplication. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

While the above description describes various embodiments of theinvention and the best mode contemplated, regardless how detailed theabove text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of thesystem may vary considerably in its specific implementation, while stillbeing encompassed by the present disclosure. As noted above, particularterminology used when describing certain features or aspects of theinvention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is beingredefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific examplesdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under theclaims.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thespirit and scope of the various embodiments of the invention. Further,while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of theinvention have been described above in the context of those embodiments,other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not allembodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within thescope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited,except as by the appended claims.

Although certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certainclaim forms, the applicant contemplates the various aspects of theinvention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the applicantreserves the right to pursue additional claims after filing thisapplication to pursue such additional claim forms, in either thisapplication or in a continuing application.

We claim:
 1. A kiosk for recycling mobile phones, the kiosk comprising:a support surface configured to receive a mobile phone from a user; asupport frame; and a connector carrier mounted to the support frame,wherein the connector carrier includes a plurality of electricalconnectors mounted thereto, wherein the connector carrier is configuredto move relative to the support surface to position a selected one ofthe electrical connectors in a first position adjacent to the supportsurface, and wherein the support frame is configured to pivot about anaxis to move the selected electrical connector from the first positiontoward a second position proximate the support surface.
 2. The kiosk ofclaim 1 wherein the support frame is configured to move the connectorcarrier toward the support surface to move the selected electricalconnector toward the second position.
 3. The kiosk of claim 1 whereinthe support frame is configured to pivot about the axis in a firstdirection to move the selected electrical connector from the firstposition toward the second position, and wherein the support frame isfurther configured to pivot about the axis in a second direction,opposite the first direction, to move the selected electrical connectorfrom the second position toward the first position.
 4. The kiosk ofclaim 1 wherein the support frame includes a first end portion having ahole and a second end portion having a slot, and wherein the kioskfurther comprises: a support plate, wherein the first end portion of thesupport frame is pivotably coupled to the support plate via a pinextending through the hole; and a motor configured to move a driveelement slidably received within the slot to pivot the support frameabout the axis.
 5. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising an electricmotor configured to pivot the support frame about the axis.
 6. The kioskof claim 1 wherein the connector carrier includes a chassis, and whereinthe plurality of electrical connectors are mounted to a periphery of thechassis.
 7. The kiosk of claim 6 wherein the chassis is rotatablymounted to the support frame.
 8. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein thesupport surface is inclined at an angle relative to a horizontal plane.9. The kiosk of claim 8 wherein the angle is between about 45 degreesand 75 degrees.
 10. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the support surfaceincludes a transparent plate.
 11. A kiosk for recycling mobile phones,the kiosk comprising: a support frame pivotably coupled to a portion ofthe kiosk proximate an inspection area of the kiosk; and a connectorcarrier moveably coupled to the support frame, wherein the connectorcarrier includes a plurality of electrical connectors mounted thereto,wherein (a) the connector carrier is configured to move relative to thesupport frame to position a selected electrical connector adjacent tothe inspection area, and (b) the support frame is configured to pivotabout an axis to move the selected electrical connector toward theinspection area.
 12. The kiosk of claim 11 wherein the support frameincludes: a first end portion pivotably coupled to the portion of thekiosk; and a second end portion having a slot configured to receive adrive element coupled to a motor for pivoting the support frame aboutthe axis.
 13. The kiosk of claim 12 wherein the slot is oriented along ahorizontal axis extending between the first end portion and the secondend portion.
 14. The kiosk of claim 11 wherein the connector carrier isconfigured to rotate through an arc relative to the inspection area asthe support frame pivots about the axis.
 15. The kiosk of claim 11wherein the connector carrier is rotatably mounted to the support frame,and wherein the connector carrier is configured to rotate relative tothe support frame to position the selected electrical connector adjacentto the inspection area.
 16. The kiosk of claim 11 wherein the supportframe is configured to pivot about the axis in a first direction to movethe selected electrical connector toward the inspection area, and topivot about the axis in a second direction, opposite the firstdirection, to move the selected electrical connector away from theinspection area.
 17. A method for presenting a selected electricalconnector of a plurality of different electrical connectors to a user ofa kiosk for connection to a mobile phone, the method comprising: movinga connector carrier having the plurality of different electricalconnectors relative to an inspection area configured to hold the mobilephone, wherein moving the connector carrier includes moving theconnector carrier to position the selected electrical connector adjacentto the inspection area; and pivoting a support frame coupled to theconnector carrier about an axis to move the selected electricalconnector toward the inspection area, wherein pivoting the support frameabout the axis includes rotating the support frame through an arc in aplane that is perpendicular to a central axis of the connector carrier.18. The method of claim 17 wherein pivoting the support frame about theaxis includes rotating the support frame through an arc in a plane thatis perpendicular to a central axis of the connector carrier.
 19. Themethod of claim 17 wherein the inspection area includes a supportsurface for receiving the mobile phone, and wherein the support surfaceis inclined at an angle of between about 45 degrees and about 70 degreesrelative to a horizontal plane.
 20. A method for presenting a selectedelectrical connector of a plurality of different electrical connectorsto a user of a kiosk for connection to a mobile phone, the methodcomprising: moving a connector carrier having the plurality of differentelectrical connectors relative to an inspection area configured to holdthe mobile phone, wherein moving the connector carrier includes movingthe connector carrier to position the selected electrical connectoradjacent to the inspection area; and pivoting a support frame coupled tothe connector carrier about an axis to move the selected electricalconnector toward the inspection area, wherein the connector carrier isrotatably mounted to the support frame, and wherein moving the connectorcarrier to position the selected electrical connector adjacent to theinspection area includes rotating the connector carrier relative to thesupport frame.